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Franklin: Police brutality needs to stop

Brad Franklin
7:29 p.m. CDT July 21, 2014

Let’s be clear, there are many great officers out there who know the power of their badge. But there are too many who abuse that power. And unfortunately, those are the ones that the public sees far too often. That must change. Police brutality has to end.

Being a law enforcement officer is a difficult, unenviable job. Every day men and women put their lives on the line to serve and protect us.

Just this past weekend in Jackson, several neighborhood organizations gathered in Fondren Park to show their appreciation for those who patrol our streets. It’s one of the success stories: the symbiotic relationship between the “good guys” — engaged citizens and compassionate cops.

But we are still too often hearing the horror stories, the incidents where people of color are being brutalized by police officers who are supposed to protect them.

Just last week, New York resident Eric Garner, 43, died after being put in a chokehold and slammed unnecessarily to the ground. Garner was asthmatic and could be heard by onlookers screaming that he couldn’t breathe. Cops say they saw him selling cigarettes outside his store. Witnesses said he had just broken up a fight. He had no cigarettes on him, nor in his car. Yet, police tried to arrest him.

Then there’s 51-year-old Marlene Pinnock, who was repeatedly punched by a California trooper July 1. Pinnock, who had a history of mental issues, was walking along the freeway. Is punching a middle-aged woman necessary to subdue her?

Or what about the South Florida 13-year-old who had his legs kicked from under him while he was handcuffed?

At an early age, black kids are taught to fear the police instead of respect them. That’s a problem. And its counterproductive in areas where crime is an issue. But as a parent, it’s difficult to teach my own children how to walk that line.

The fact is blacks are disproportionately stopped while driving for minor offenses. Blacks are incarcerated almost six times more. The reality of a “school to prison” pipeline is prevalent in majority black school districts. Students who are actually in need of extra educational help or social assistance are being pushed out of school and into the vicious cycle of crime and jail.

There’s the rise of the “stop and frisk” law where innocent minorities are profiled and harassed under the claim that it makes communities safer. It has its roots in New York City but has been spreading across the country. It has proven to be as ineffective at stopping crime as roadblocks are.

Let’s be clear, there are many great officers out there who know the power of their badge. But there are too many who abuse that power. And unfortunately, those are the ones that the public sees far too often. That must change. Police brutality has to end.

Brad “Kamikaze” Franklin is a Jackson resident and musician. Contact him at kamikaze601 @hotmail.com.